MOORHEAD, Minn. -- The MSU Moorhead Dragons host a pair of conference matchups this weekend. The first matchup will be on Friday against the Bemidji State University Beavers in a 7:30 p.m. tip. Then the Dragons will turn around and face the St. Cloud State Huskies on Saturday in a game that tips off at 5:30 p.m.

Live stats and video are available at msumdragons.com
 
The Rundown

The Dragons (0-7, 0-2 NSIC), haven't managed to tally their first win quite yet, but they have come very close many times. They almost completed a fantastic comeback in their last game against the University of Mary, but it fell short as they dropped the game 66-63. Against Mary the Dragon's top performer was junior guard Natalie Jens. Jens went 5-12 from the field, and she was driving down the lane early and often drawing contact along the way as she got to the free throw line 18 times and converted on 12 of those opportunities. She also totaled five assists, six steals and two rebounds.

Freshman guard Karlee Fisher also had a nice game against Mary. She made two three-pointers to help bring the Dragons closer in the second half, made both of her free throws, had three assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block. In their game against Mary, the Dragons shot 41.6 percent from three in the second half, and they went 66.7 percent from the free throw line over the entirety of the game. They had 45 rebounds and eight second chance points in the game. They also forced 22 turnovers which led to 18 points on turnovers for the Dragons. Turnovers were the key to the comeback in the second half where the Dragons scored 45 points in the second half. 

On the season the Dragons average 58.6 points per game while shooting 34.9 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from three-point range. When they get to the free throw line they make 70.3 percent of their shots. The team averages 37.6 rebounds, 11.4 assists and 14.3 turnovers per game. On the defensive side they force 12.4 turnovers a game, get 6.6 steals per game and block 2.9 shot attempts per game.

Dragon Team Leaders
Points per game: Natalie Jens – 14.0
Assists: Natalie Jens – 32
Rebounds: Terryn Johnson – 50
Steals: Natalie Jens – 13
Blocks: Kaila Youngs – 6
 
The Dragons are led by 24^th year head coach Karla Nelson. She enters the weekend with 399 career victories. 
 
Scouting Bemidji State

The Beavers (2-3, 0-2 NSIC), dropped both of their first two conference games last week. The first came to Minot State 68-56, then they dropped a heartbreaker to University of Minnesota Crookston 73-70. Their leading scorer this season is sophomore forward Alyssa Hill. She averages 16.2 points per game and makes 55.0 percent of her shots. The Dragons won't want to send her to the free throw line either, as she is shooting 92.9 percent on her free throw attempts so far this season. She also averages five rebounds per game which is third-best on the team. 

The Beavers average 64 points per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 29.0 percent from beyond the three-point line. As a team they only make 60.2 percent of their free throws. They average 38 rebounds, 14.4 assists and 16.0 turnovers per game. Defensively, they force 17.4 turnovers per game, tally 8.2 steals per game and block 4.2 shot attempts per game.

The Beavers are led by ninth-year head coach Chelsea Stoltenberg.
 
Scouting St. Cloud State

The Huskies (5-1, 2-0 NSIC), had a successful start to NSIC conference play last week as they picked up two wins against Minnesota Crookston (72-51) and Minot State (75-54). The Huskies are led by sophomore guard Jada Eggebrecht who averages 13.7 points per game for her squad. She also totals 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. She is also a very good free throw shooter who is averaging 90 percent from the line this season. She doesn't get into foul trouble either, as she has only committed six personal fouls so far this season. She is a sharpshooter from deep, making 45 percent from three, and 48.5 percent from the field overall. 

As a team the Huskies average 71.5 points per game, and they are one of the best shooting teams in the conference this season at 43.9 percent from the field and 42.0 percent from three-point range. They aren't great from the free throw line making 62.4 percent from the line. They rebound well grabbing 37.5 boards per game, assist on 17.7 shots per game and turn the ball over 13.0 times per game. Defensively, the Huskies force 17.7 turnovers per game which turns into 19.8 points off turnovers per game. They also average 9.8 steals and 6.3 blocks per game. 

The Huskies are coached Lori Fish, who is in her 16th season at the helm.